Jack’s mates bought their tickets – now he must deliver
BY ALAN ROBERTSON only got into the sport as rehab after fracturing both ankles playing football – will have three of his pals turn up.
Asked if he had to twist their arm, he said: “No, they’re more than happy to come along and cheer – or boo me if I go out!
“I’d probably get a good slaughtering if they paid for tickets and I got knocked out in the first round. My dad’s side of the family and mum’s side are coming – quite a lot of people have bought tickets so I need to perform.
“It will be nice to have them – a lot of my family haven’t seen me race at this level before and I think they’re all rather excited.
“You’ll hear my mum. It’s probably going to be my mum the cameras find with a banner in the crowd. It happened at Commonwealths.”
Mum Gillian had plenty to cheer in Gold Coast as her boy took men’s sprint silver.
Carlin laughed that coaches wouldn’t have approved of “going out for a bevvy” when asked if he’d be Glasgow tour guide for GB team-mates pre-championships. But he’ll take to the boards already refreshed from his Aussie experience after a lads’ holiday in Tenerife.
Carlin, who will compete in the sprint, team sprint and keirin, said: “It was a tough couple of weeks when I first came back to full-time training – I was a bit heavier than I should have been!
“This year has been quite a big turnaround for me, going from the man one side of the team sprint role to then trying to build myself as an all-around sprinter.
“So the individual stuff has stepped up massively and that was an unexpected step up, so quick.
“I’m more confident in my individual skills than I used to be. It’s all to play for and I’m probably going into this event more confident than I’ve been from prior events.”
That could be put to the test with the prospect of rivalling six-time Olympic champion Jason Kenny for a Tokyo spot in the individual sprint while working together in the team event.
Hoy, on the same number of Olympic golds as Kenny, has said Carlin can be “one of the big stars” in Tokyo.
Carlin admitted the impact of Hoy’s comments was “huge” and said: “When I first started cycling, Chris was a role model of mine. He’s still probably the best known track cyclist out there.
“Having words like that gives you a boost and selfconfidence it is not only you that believes in yourself, there are others backing you.”
As for a Jack Carlin Velodrome, Carlin added: “I don’t think that will be happening anytime soon! Tokyo is the main aim and it’s what we all strive for.”